Water best for hydration says Harvard Health

A recent article in the Harvard School of Public Health’s newsletter The Nutrition Source reveals that the very best way to quench your thirst is by drinking water. Harvard also recommends that you go easy on milk and juice, and skip sugary drinks entirely.

Water is without doubt the healthiest choice when you’re thirsty; it has zero calories and can be easily gotten from the nearest tap. According to The Nutrition Source, other beverages can also be healthy, but you should drink them in moderation:

• Coffee and Tea – Can be good for you if you don’t load them up with cream or sugar
• 100% Fruit Juice – Fruit juice has vitamins, but also has calories
• Milk – Also high in calories, a glass or two of low fat or skim per day is enough
• Alcohol – In moderate amounts it can be beneficial – moderation is key

Artificially sweetened drinks also made the list, but Harvard Health mentions an important caveat: The long term effects of artificially sweetened drinks on weight and health is unknown. You should avoid artificially sweetened drinks because of this – unless you like being a guinea pig for the soft drink industry!

Alkaline Water or Plain Water – Which is best?

The Harvard health article didn’t compare alkaline water with plain water, but there is a compelling reason to consider alkaline water as a superior alternative to plain water: Tap water doesn’t taste very good. Alkaline water from a water ionizer tastes naturally sweet and refreshing. As a matter of fact, alkaline water from a water ionizer is probably the best tasting glass of water you will ever drink! Studies have shown that alkaline water from a water ionizer can taste significantly better than plain water.

If you want to follow Harvard Health’s advice, and drink more water, a water ionizer will make that water taste great. Think about this: When you choose another beverage over water, you do so because the other beverage tastes better than the water you’re drinking. A water ionizer helps you choose water over other beverages simply because alkaline water from a water ionizer tastes sweet and refreshing. It’s a simple fact of life, if your water tastes better than other beverages, then you will prefer to drink it over those other beverages.

Disclosure: This article is a review of an article that appeared in Harvard School of Public Health’s The Nutrition Source. This article is not intended to imply endorsement of Life Ionizer products by Harvard Health.

Life Ionizers recommends Harvard School of Public Health’s The Nutrition Source as a great source of information on healthy living!

Reference

“Healthy Drinks.”Harvard School of Public Health.” Harvard School of Public Health. Harvard School of Public Health. Web. 8 Jul 2013. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/>.